Ink applicator



Feb. 9, 1965 R. KELLY 3,168,865

INK APPLICATOR Filed May 16, 1962 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fig.1.

54 I ;& \\\\W D 30 r 6 ROBERT 155K ATTORNEY.

R. KELLY INK APPLICATOR Feb. 9, 1965 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 16, 1962 INVENTOR. ROBERT KELLY ATTORNEY Filed May 16, 1962 R. KELLY INK APPLICATOR 5 Sheets-Sheet I5 Fig.5. 22

I 9a 52 M use as \N M8 M2 58 2' 50 2e 2e \L fl/J &/ m a I24 uo z 122;?" 12 I "M P #1 |34 I26 7 INVENTOR. ROBERT KELLY.

Feb. 9, 1965 R. KELLY 3,168,865

INK APPLICATOR Filed May 16, 1962 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 6 I00 I04 86 I00 H04 Fig. 6.

INVENTOR.

ROBERT KELLY AT TORNEY,

R. KELLY INK APPLICATOR Feb. 9, 1965 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed May 16, 1962 INVENTOR. ROBERT mu ATTORNEY.

United States Patent 3,168,865 INK APPLECATUR Robert Kelly, tCiawson, Mich, assigner to Burroughs t Corporation, Detroit, Mich, a corporation of Michigan Filed May 16, 1962, der. No. 195,984 12 @laims. (Cl. 101-4567) This invention relates generally to ink applicators and particularly to high speed cyclically operated inking rollers.

-It is the principal object of the invention to provide an improved ink applicator of the roll-on type.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved ink applicator of the roll-on type which is so constructed and controlled as to supply substantially the desired amount of ink required for a single printing operation so as to avoid the accumulation of excessive ink on a roller, print wheel or on other of the ink applicator components.

. Another object of the invention resides in an improved construction of an inking roller for metering the supply of proper amounts of ink to the inking surface of the roller each cycle of operation thereof.

A furtherobject of the invention is to provide for an intermittently or cyclically operated printer, an inking applicator controlled to cyclically inject a predetermined amount of ink into an ink'metering system of an ink roller in response to rotation ofthe roller.

Other objects of the invention will become apparent from the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which;

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary plan view of an ink applicator embodying features of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view partly in elevation and taken along the line 22 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged vertical cross sectional view, taken along the line 33 of PEG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a horizontal sectional view, taken along the line 44 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a vertical cross sectional view, taken along the line 55 of FIG. 1; p FIG. 6 is an enlarged vertical cross sectional view, taken along the line 6-6 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 7 is a cross sectional view, takenalong the line 7-7 of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary detail view in elevation;

FIGS. 9 and 10 are similar cross sectional views, taken along the lines 9-9, and'1ll1ll respectively of FIG. 6, and

FIG. 1l.is a diagrammatic illustration of a control system for controlling operation of the ink applicator.

FIGURE 12 is a cross sectional view taken along the linen-12 of FIG. 5.

Referring to the drawings by characters of reference, the apparatus shown comprises, in general, a supporting means or frame structure 20, a print wheel 22, and an inking roller 24. The print wheel 22 and the inking roller 24 are mounted to rotate about spaced vertical axes on a gear housing 26 containing suitable gearing for rotating the wheel and roller in synchronized relation.

, The gear housing 26 is mounted on a bed or horizontal base plate 28 of the frame structure, the gear housing being spaced above plate 28 by tubular spacer members 30 which receive bolts 32 for securing the gear housing to the base plate. j

Mounted on and above the base plate 28 there is a horizontal sheet guideway 34 along which sheets, such as bank checks are fed on edge at high velocity to the valve body 46.

3,158,855 Patented Feb. 9, 1965 print wheel 22. The guideway 34 may comprise a pair of spaced apart vertically positioned plates 36 mounted above a rail 38 having an upwardly facing V-groove 40 providing a track for the checks. Horizontally aligned clearance holes in the guide plates 36 respectively receive the peripheries of the print wheel 22 and a roller type platen 42.. The platen 42 is of the type which is movable toward and away from the print wheel 22 in synchronized relation with rotative operation of the print wheel. i y

In accordance with the invention, the ink applicator comprises a hollow vertical ink conducting shaft .44, a valve body 46, and the inking roller 24. The shaft 44, valve body 46 and the inking roller 24 rotate as a unit, the valve body being affixed to the roller and integral with the upper end of the shaft. The shaft 44 is journalled for rotation in the gear housing 26 and the lower end of the shaft is in communication with an ink reservoir or container 54 by a connecting conduit 52. As shown in PEG. 6, the lower end of the hollow shaft 44 terminates within a hollow boss 54 on the underside of gear housing as, and surrounding the shaft within said boss is a suitable shaft seal 56. i

in further carrying out the objects of the invention, the inking roller 2 is provided internally thereof with an ink metering system which provides communication between the valve body 46 andthe periphery of the roller to deliver ink in the proper amount to the roller periphery. To this end, the roller 24 is sectionally constructed having a lower end section or cup member 58,.an upper end section or cup member 69, and an intermediate section on cup member partition 62. The intermediate cup member 62 nests or fits into the lower c'up member 58 with the opposed surfaces thereof spaced apart to provide an ink metering space 64 in communication with laterally directed outlet ports 66 in the side of the The upper cup member 60 fits tightly over an upper end portion of the intermediate cup member 62 to form a closed chamber 67, the cup members being secured together, such as by screws 68. Below the upper'cup member 69, the intermediate cup member 62 is provided around its Outer cylindrical surface with a downwardly facing shoulder 76 which seats on the rim of the lower cup member 58. Screws 72, screw-threaded into the upper end of the valve body 46 have heads which clamp the intermediate cup member 62 down against the rinrof the lower cup member 58 and the latter down against a flange 74 on the valve body 46 to secure the parts together.

As shown in FIG. 6, the inner surface of the lower cup member 58 is substantially concave, the surface curving or flaring upwardly and outwardly to the rim of the cup member. The opposed surface of the intermediate cup member 62 is substantially convex and contoured such that the ink flow space 64 between the surfaces progressively decreases from the valve body outlet ports 66 to a plurality of radially spaced metering apertures 76 through the side wall of cup member 58. The apertures '76 are radiallyspaced around the side wall of the cup member 58 and are in communication with an ink applicator band 78 which encircles the roller and may be made of felt or other suitable bibulous or wicklike material including porous or sintered nylon. As shown, the inking band 78 is in rolling contact with the print wheel 22. The inking band 78 is preferably retained in a retainer channel which encircles the roller ,and is formed, in the present construction, by external drical peripheries of the upper and intermediate cup members 60 and 62 respectively. To effect a more even distribution of ink to the inking band 78, the outer cylindrical surface of the lower cup member 58 is provided with grooves 79, connecting the ink outlet ports '76, as shown in FIG. 8.-

An inlet valve port 80 in the valve body 46 is in communication with the outlet ports 66 and is controlled by a vertically movable valve member 52. Projecting above the upper end of the valve body 46 into chamber 64, the valve member 82 is provided with a head and spring retainer 84, the valve member normally being held seated by a helical coil spring 36. Encircling the valve body 46 there is an upwardly facing annular groove provided in the inner surface of the lower cup member 53 to retain an ink flow retarding ring 90. The ring 90 may be made of felt or other ink pervious material and is clamped in its retaining groove by and when the screws 72 are tightened down. The ring 90 functions as a bafile to retard flow of ink radially outwardly by the high speed rotativc action of the inkingroller.

An upper extension 92 of the valve member 30 projects through the upper end of the inking roller 24 to engage an adjustable limit or stop member 94. The stop member 94 is in the form of a roller which is eccentrically mounted on a manually rotatable shaft 96. The shaft 96 is rotatably supported in a mounting member 97 which in turn is mounted on the top of a casing 98 that encloses the inking and print rollers.

A plurality of valve member actuators 100 of the type responsive to centrifugal force are provided to raise the valve member 80 against the opposing action of the spring 86. Each of the actuators 1&0 comprises a lever 162 having the end of a lower arm engaging the underside -.of the valve rnemberflhead 84 and an upwardly extending arm carrying a weight 104, the levers being radially equally spaced about the valve member 80 on individual brackets 106. It will be apparent that when the inking roller'24 is rotated to ink the print Wheel 22 for a printing cycle of operation, the centrifugal force developed causeslevers'102 to move the valve member away from its seat a distance limited by the adjustable stop member 94 which valve action admits the required amount of ink to the passage 64.

Jour' nalled in a casing 11% which is preferably suspended from the underside of the bed plate 28, there is a Vertical drive shaft 111 the upper end of which projects into the gear casing 26 and has a driving gear 112 keyed to the shaft, as best shown in FIG. 4. Keyed to the hollow ink conducting shaft 44 there is a driven gear 114 which 'isdriven by the driving gear 112 through an idler gear 116... A second driven gear 118 in mesh with driving gear 112 is keyed to a vertical shaft 1241 to which the print wheel 22 is also keyed or otherwise suitably afiixed, the print wheel shaft 120 being suitably journalled in the gear housing 26.

Journalled on the drive shaft 111 within the casing 110 there is a pulley 122 driven by a belt 124 from a pulley shaft 126 which is journalled by a suitable hearing in a casing 128. The pulley shaft 126 may be driven by a belt from a continuously operating high speed electric motor (not shown). Aflixed to the lower end of the pulley 1 22 there is a hub 130 and surrounding the hub and keyed thereto is a driving clutch component or disc 131 of suitable magnetizable material. The component 131 is attracted and held to a driven clutch component 132 when an electromagnet 134 is energized. As shown, the driven clutch component is suitably fixed to the shaft 111, such as by means of a pin, so that on energization of the electromagnet 134 a driving connection is established from the driven pulley 122 through the magnetically coupled clutch components 131, 132 to I drive the shaft 111. The driving clutch component 130 is driven at the same speed as the speed of travel of checks along the check guideway. Energizatlon of the 4 electromagnet 134 is under the control of a photoelectric cell 136 which is positioned along and on one side of the check guideway anteriorly to the inking roller 24. On the other side of the check guideway is the usual light source or lamp 138 that normally directs a beam of light on the photoelectric cell to hold the circuit closed until the light beam is blocked by a passing check. I

With reference particularly to FIG. 11, the CllClilllPf the photoelectric cell 136 is a well known circuit utiliz ing a ,triode 149 having its cathode connected to ground through the photoelectric cell and its anode or plate con: nected to a' suitable potential by a conductor containing a relay coil R with a parallel capacitor 142. A bias 144 provides for the properpotential on the trio'de grid so that the relay coil R will be energized in thewell known manner when the light from lamp 138 is being received by the photoelectric cell 136. The relay coil R has a pair of normally open contacts R1 in series with the electromagnet 134. As a consequenc, when the light from lamp 138 is blocked from the cell 136 by a check passing therebetween, energization of the relay coil R is discontinued which results in contacts R1 closing and effecting the energization of the electromagnet, This effects engagement of the clutch components 130, 132 to couple drive shaft 111 to the driving pulley 122 whereby the inking roller 24 and print wheel 22 are rotated as the check passes between the print wheel and its pressure roller or platen.

Operation In'operation, checks are fed singly at high velocity along their guideway 34 to the endorsing print wheel 22 and, on approaching the wheel, blockout the light to the photoelectric cell 136. As a consequence,'the relay contacts R1 close and activate the electromagnetic clutch to connect the driving shaft 111 to the high speed clutch driving component 130. This rotates both the print wheel 22 and the inking roller 25 through the gearing in housing 26 and at the same time the platen 42 is moved mechanically into engagement with the print wheel to form a bight therewith for receiving the check. As previously nien= tioned, the surface speeds of the print wheel-22 and the inking roller 24 are substantially the same as the linear speed of the check for efficient operation. As a result of the high speed of rotation of the ink applicator, the ink is caused to how up the inner side wall of the hollow shaft 44 to the valve body 46, and the valve actuators 100 respond to the centrifugal force and move the valve mem her 30 to open position, limited by the adjustable stop member 94. This action admits ink to the valve body whence the ink is forced by centrifugal force radially out wardly in passage 64. Flow of the ink is retarded by the ink pervious baflle ring 90. The ink passes relatively slowly through the previous baffle ring by capillary action, aided by centrifugal force and is caused to flow outwardly and upwardly along the passage64. Diminishing in flow capacity, the passage 64 meters the fiow of the ink to the apertures 76 whence the ink is distributed through the surface passages 79 to the entire area of the inking band 78. Thus, for each revolution of the print roller 24, a measured amount of ink is injected into the roller ink passage 26 by centrifugal force and is conducted, meteredand distributedequally over the periphery ink transfer band 78 of the roller.

What is claimed is:

1. In an ink applicator, supporting means, anupright hollow shaft rotatably supported by said supporting means and having the lower end thereof in communication with a supply of ink, said shaft operable by the rotary action to lift ink along'the inner surface of the shaft, a valve outlet and the outer periphery of said roller, a normally closed valve member controlling said inlet, and weight means mounted for rotation with said shaft and operatively connected to and for actuatingsaid valve memher in response to the centrifugal force generated.

2. In an ink applicator, supporting means, an upright hollow shaft rotatably supported by said supporting means and having the lower end thereof in communication with a supply of ink, said shaft operable by its rotary action to lift ink upwardly along the inner surface of said shaft, a valve body aflixed to the upper end of said shaft and having an ink inlet in communication with the interior of said shaft and an ink outlet, a normally closed valve member controlling said inlet, means rotatable with said shaft and operatively connected to and for moving said valve member in a direction to open said inlet, and an inking roller affixed to said shaft for rotation therewith and having a passage establishing communication between said valve body outlet and the outer periphery of said roller.

3. In an ink applicator, supporting means, an upright hollow shaft rotatably supported by said supporting means and having the lower end thereof in communication with a supply of ink, said shaft operable by its rotary action to pump ink up along the inner surface of the shaft, a valve body affixed to the upper end of said shaft having an ink inlet in communication with said shaft and having an ink outlet, a normally closed valve member controlling said inlet in response, to generated centrifugal force, an inking roller aihxed to said valve body for rotation therewith, said inking roller enclosing said valve body and having a radial passage establishing communication between the outlet of said valve body and the periphery of said roller, and a weighted lever member within and carried by said roller and operatively connected to said valve member to operate the latter in response to the centrifugal force generated by the roller.

'4. An ink roller structure comprising an upper end section, a lower end section having an ink inlet coaxial with the axis of rotation of the roller, said sections cooperating in forming a hollow body and an outwardly facing wick retaining channel around the periphery of the body,

an ink absorber and applicator member in said retaining channel, said lower end section having a concave inner surface including an outwardly and upwardly flared side wall forming in part said channel and having a plurality of radially spaced ink metering apertures in communication with said channel, and an intermediatesection having a convex surface in spaced opposed relation to the concave surface of said lower section forming therewith an ink flow space communicatively connecting said ink inlet to said ink metering apertures.

,5. An ink roller structure comprising, an upper end section, a lower end section having an ink inlet coaxial with the axis of rotation of the sections, said sections co- .saidpassage between said ink inlet and said ink metering outlets,

6. Anink roller structure comprising, an upper end i seotion, a lower end section having an ink inlet coaxial with the axis of rotation of said sections, said sections cooperating to form a hollow body and an outwardly facing retaining cha nnel around'tl'ie periphery thereof, a ringlike ink absorber and applicator member held in said channel, said lower end section cup-shaped with the side wall thereof forming in part said channel and having a plurality of radially spaced ink metering outlets in communication with said member, and an intermediate section having a convex surface within said lower end cup-shaped section forming therewith an ink flow restricting space leading from said ink inlet outwardly and upwardly to all of said ink metering outlets with the filow capacity of said passage decreasing progressively from the inlet to the outlets. i i

7, An ink roller structure comprising, an upper end section, a lower end section having an ink inlet coaxial with the axis of rotation of said sections, said sections cooperating to form a hollow body and an outwardly facing retaining channel around the periphery thereof, a ring-like ink absorber and applicator member held in said channel, said lower end section cup-shaped with the side wall thereof forming in part said channel and having a plurality of radially spaced ink metering outlets in communication with said member, an intermediate section having a convex surface within said lower end cupshaped section forming therewith an ink flow restricting space leading from said ink inlet outwardly and upwardly to all of said ink metering outlets with the flow capacity of said passage decreasing progressively from the inlet to the outlets, and an annular ink pervious member between said inlet and said outlets to retard ink flow to the latter.

8. An ink applicator comprising an inking roller having opposite end portions, an ink inlet at the axis of the roller and a plurality of radially spaced ink outlets through the periphery of the roller, a partition within said roller spaced from and cooperating with one end thereof to form an ink metering passage communicatively connecting said inlet and said plurality of outlets, said metering passage extending from said inlet to said outlets, and an ink absorbing band encircling and lying against the periphery of said roller in overlying relation to said plurality of outlets.

9. An ink applicator comprising a hollow inking roller having opposite end walls, an ink inlet coaxially therewith and a plurality of ink outlets through and radially spaced about the, periphery of the roller, a. partition within said roller cooperating with an end wall thereof to form an ink metering passage leading from said inlet to all of said outlets, and an ink pervious bathe in said passage between said inlet and said outlets to retard flow of ink to the periphery of said roller.

10. An ink applicator comprising a hollow inking roller having opposite end walls, an ink inletcoaxially therewith and having a plurality of ink outlets through the periphery of the roller, a partition within said roller cooperating with one end wall thereof forming an ink passage communicatively connecting said inlet to said outlets, said passage progressively decreasing in how capacity from said inlet to said outlets, and an ink absorbing band around and against the periphery of said roller and overlying said ink outlets.

11. An ink applicator comprising a hollow inking roller having opposite end walls, an ink inlet in one end there- 'of and coaxially therewith and having a plurality of ink outlets through and radially spaced about the periphery of theroller, a partition within said roller cooperating. with said one end wall to define an ink flow passage concooperating with said one'end Wall to form an ink flow passage leading from said inlet to said plurality of outlets,

a normally closed valve member controlling said inlet and responsive to rotation of said roller to open said inlet, an ink pervious bafiie member in said passage between said inlet and said plurality of outlets to retard ink flow to the latter, a retaining channel member extending around the periphery of said roller in overlying relationship to said outlets, and an ink absorbing'bank retained in said channel member.

UNITED STATES PATENTS Pettee June 12, Sheetz Sept. 6, Strawn Dec. 12, Mitchell et a1. Jan. 4, Pacher Apr. 21, Worth Feb. 2, Herrick July 4, 

1. IN AN INK APPLICATOR, SUPPORTING MEANS, AN UPRIGHT HOLLOW SHAFT ROTATABLY SUPPORTED BY SAID SUPPORTING MEANS AND HAVING THE LOWER END THEREOF IN COMMUNICATION WITH A SUPPLY OF INK, SAID SHAFT OPERABLE BY THE ROTARY ACTION TO LIFT INK ALONG THE INNER SURFACE OF THE SHAFT, A VALVE BODY AFFIXED TO THE UPPER END OF SAID SHAFT HAVING AN INK INLET IN COMMUNICATION WITH SAID HOLLOW SHAFT AND HAVING AN INK OUTLET, A HOLLOW INKING ROLLER MOUNTED ON SAID VALVE BODY FOR ROTATION THEREWITH AND HAVING A PASSAGE ESTABLISHING COMMUNICATION BETWEEN SAID VALVE BODY OUTLET AND THE OUTER PERIPHERY OF SAID ROLLER, A NORMALLY CLOSED VALVE MEMBER CONTROLLING SAID INLET, AND WEIGHT MEANS CONNECTED TO AND FOR ACTUATING SAID VALVE AND OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO AND FOR ACTUATING SAID VALVE MEMBER IN RESPONSE TO THE CENTRIFUGAL FORCE GENERATED. 